


The End and the Beginning

by Hell_of_a_copter



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2020-11-15 12:37:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20866355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hell_of_a_copter/pseuds/Hell_of_a_copter
Summary: The tragedy of Whirl's past





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will contain gore , fire, and violence. If you are not into that please go read something else. 
> 
> If not... Go ahead and enjoy.

Jetstream was at the front of the watchmaking studio. Shop was closed for the day. He was about to go lay down and have a short recharge. Someone suddenly banged loudly on the door. 

"Rude!" He thought.

"We are closed for the day. Please return tomorrow" He answered.

"OPEN THE DOOR GLITCH FACED LOAD OF SLAG" the voice outside shouted. Jetstream peaked to see who it was. Two Heavyweight mechs, heavily armed.

"Primus have mercy!" He gasped softly

The banging on the door continued. Jetstream's rotors folded down and his vents turned on. Mechs from the local mob would show up regularly asking for money for "protection" It was a scam nothing more. It was "Pay us or we will destroy your business." Which worked with many in the Polyhex market district. Jetstream was different. He was a 38ft tall armed rotary. He had told them he could protect his business on his own. 

Unknown to him, other business owners were upset that there was an outsider making better business. They reported Jetstream to the Functionists council. And that is how Two big guys instead of the usual guy showed up at Jetstream's workshop/home.

"Jetts? What is going on?" A voice from the back room asked. 

"We are in danger. It's those mobsters asking for money again. But this time they brought the goons." He explained and walked into the back room.

"Shiftout listen. I will do what I can to protect our home. Get the small spark, run out the back door, don't look back, I will find you as soon as I can." Jetstream explained, His yellow optics looking down at the smaller mech holding the even smaller child. 

"Primus have mercy!" Shiftout said in obvious fear. He looked up at Jetstream not knowing he would never see him again. 

That's when the door exploded and the Heavyweight mechs stormed into the watchmaking workshop. 

"Shift... RUN" Jetstream said as he turned and ran towards danger. Leaving his family to escape.

"GET OUT OF MY HOME!" He shouted .

"What home? You have no home. Do you see a home?" One of the big guys said to the other.

"Not anymore" the other said. Taking his hammer hands and bashing everything in sight. 

The other Mech kicked a bucket with oil and set it aflame. In a matter of seconds the building burst into flames.

Jetstream had already warmed up his guns and started shooting at the attackers. They however were shielded with enough armor to not be severely damaged. Suddenly a hammer slammed against his helm. Jetstream fell on his knees as fire began to engulf him. For a minute he felt it was the end. He would be engulfed in flames and consumed or be beaten to death. 

Memories of Shiftout flooded his mind. The small three wheeled mech with bright red optics and wiggly antennae. His deep suave voice and gorgeous smile. And the sparkling.. the baby didn't even have a name yet. Only a few days old. NO he had to survive... For them.

He finally stood. His frame in flames. Suddenly he felt indestructible. He shouted, leaped into the air and shot at the Intruders with the guns on his feet. He rolled towards the broken front door. He could not fly but he could run.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jetstream looks for a place to hide.

Jetsream ran as fast as he could. His vents burned. Smoke had gotten into the vents which made it very hard for him to keep his body cooled as he ran. His paint was charred black. He didn't look back he just ran. Once he felt they were no longer after him he stopped. He tried to clean his vents and tried to figure out where to hide. 

Eventually he figured his best option was to hide outside of Polyhex. They would be searching for him in the city. Where could he go that they couldn't track him down. The closest city was Rodion. Maybe he could hide and blend in. 

" I'm probably going to have to change my name so they can't find me. Maybe a paint job and I can get a job somehow." He told himself as he walked. 

He decided to take to the underground while he thought of what name to use. 

Being underground lead to Dead End. The place was mostly slums with drug addicts, petty criminals, and the homeless, which he was now a part of. Dead End ran underground half in Polyhex and half in Rodion. Perfect place to get lost. He found a place to rest. It was not very comfortable but he was exhausted.  
Once sitting he continued thinking of a name. That's when he realized he had a list of names to pick from. The list of potential names for the sparkling that Shiftout had helped him with. And with that, he changed his name to Whirl.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whirl finds a place to rest

Whirl awoke the next morning. The sunlight didn't reach him as his optics lit back up. At first he thought it was all a dream. That he was at home.

"Shift?" He said out loud. 

His voice echoed through the dark tunnels. It was not a dream. He was alone. He wanted to get up, fly back to Polyhex, and find Shiftout and the baby. Optic lubricant dripped from his optics as he realized going back would only put his family in danger. He poked at the now flaking burned paint on his frame. 

"Oh Primus help me." 

He held his face on his hands feeling lost and alone. He opened his cockpit to see if there was anything that could help. Inside was an Energon container, a colorful polyethylene blanket that belonged to the baby. And a box of Energon candy. He popped the round pink candy into his mouth, got up, and walked through the tunnel.  
He saw a bright light ahead and decided to follow it. 

There he saw a group of mechs sitting around a fire. Most look malnourished and in quite a need of maintenance. 

"Well you look like slag!" One of the homeless mechs said to him while gesturing for him to join.

He sat down. "Thank you!" 

"No problem big guy! Hey you want to stick with us? You look like you could use some help. Plus we could use someone like you." 

The homeless mechs offered him a spot in their makeshift shelter. He didn't think they would have been so nice. All the stories about Dead End he had heard were about murder, drugs, and frame trafficking. These mechs were quite friendly. They didn't exactly have much food but they shared what little they had. He popped open his cockpit and shared his Energon candy. 

"Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

Whirl finally felt a bit more calm after his incident with the mob back in Polyhex. He wondered if he should tell the others but he decided not to. 

"Hey big guy. What's an armed mech doing down here? You don't seem the type to be crawling in tunels. Especially as a flyer. Also we didn't catch your name." The leader of the group said.

"Right... My name is Whirl. I'm here ... Because of a fire." He pointed at his charred frame.

"Ah..that's a shame." He gave whirl a pat on the shoulder which caused flaked specks of paint to fall to the ground. "Well don't worry you are with us now. You should rest. We will see if we can get something to eat."

Whirl went into the tent like structure and after all he had gone through, he finally fell into recharge. Once again like before, he awoke thinking Shift was with him, that he was at home. But he was definitely not alone this time. In fact he was surrounded. 

"What is going on?" Whirl asked in confusion.

"You are helping of course." The leader of the group said giving him a tap on the shoulder.

"Help...ing?" He looked arround saw they had pierced one of his fuel lines and had pulled it out of his frame. 

"You are a big Mech Whirl. I told you we could use someone like you."

"I figured you needed my help to protect you or somethig." Whirl struggled but they were holding him down. 

"Oh you are keeping us alive Sweetspark. All that Energon in your fuel lines. And you are so large you can feed us all for quite a while if we ration it." The leader of the group gave Whirl a smile. 

Whirl stared at him. His green and orange paint scratched and faded from living underground. Spots on his frame indicated he had been using illegal substances of some kind. Marks covered all the mechs around him. They had been in fights obviously. 

He could take them couldn't he? He had been part of the Aerial Corps, He had military training.

"No I won't let you kill me that easily!" Whirl glared at them, his fans roared to life. They were holding him back but they were no match for him. 

"RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT!" Whirl shouted, his voice echoed in the tunnels. But they didn't release him. Even with the warning. 

So they wanted to do this the hard way!

With that Whirl transformed into his altmode to push them off him. He immediately switched back to his root mode and punched the nearest guy. This particular mech had his fuel line in his mouth and needed to be stopped immediately. Of course after transforming his Energon was spilling everywhere. The starved mechs gathered at the floor to get what Whirl had lost. While others decided to fight . Whirl didn't want to risk bleeding out so he transformed once again and risked flying in the tunnels.


	5. Chapter 5

He flew as far as he could for a while. He stopped to try and patch his wound. Being a watchmaker had it's advantages. He was not considered a medic, however working with miniature mechanical parts that require perfect precise calculation made him good at patching wounds. 

He closed his eyes and concentrated. His dextrous digits dug into the wound and felt for his broken fuel line. Once he had a grasp on it he quickly reattached it where it belonged. There was spilled Energon on the ground but at least he wouldn't be bleeding out. 

He walked since flying would use up more Energon. If his previous experience was any indication food was hard to come by out here. A line marked the floor after several days of walking. It was the division between Polyhex and Rodion. 

There didn't seem to be many people in this area. He didn't want to attract attention again that's for sure. He found a place to sit , picked up a shard of burned plating and used it to carve patterns on his burned paint job. Leaving bare metal designs that stood out over the charred black frame. 

He removed the guns from.his feet. It was a painful process. However having so many guns was a drain to his systems. He also removed the guns on his shoulders and hips. The gun on his chest was imposible to remove. He placed all his guns into his subspace. 

With his new look he risked heading outside of the tunnels. Rodion was so much different than Polyhex. So many lights and taller buildings. It's not like he had not seen the big cities before. He had gone to Vos to train before he was enlisted into the Aerial Corps. He was not fast like a seeker. He was not huge like a shuttle. But he carried firepower.. used to. He had removed the guns he had been born with.   
He did have some credits on him. Using them however would give away who he was. For him to get food he had to get a job. But how to get a job without a name?

After several days of sleeping in tunnels and going out to explore Whirl found a hidden shop. It was in an alley. The place was mostly unlit to keep it hidden. Once inside it was actually well lit. 

"Oh I have not seen you around here. ... You better not be an undercover officer or ...let's just say you won't be getting out of here alive. ..Enjoy your stay." 

The shop keep gave Whirl a grin. The mech had a fancy paintjob. Shiny and gray with glittering purple frame etching. They had sharp teeth. Probably a mod of some kind. And he was definitely armed.

"Look I just want a fake identification. I'm hungry and don't have the credits. Well credits I can use that is." 

Whirl explained. He did his best to not offend the mech. The small mech rubbed his chin and signaled to his bodyguards to come over. They circled Whirl twice and scanned him for signs of him being a Senate enforcer. Once satisfied they backed away and stood next to their boss.

"So.. you want a new identity is that it? You on the run?" 

He asked with curiosity glowing in his optics.

"Yes sir. The Polihexian Gray Armada." 

"What in the Pits did you do to get them after you? ... Do you even know who you are speaking with?"

"No sir, I do not know your designation. As for the Armada. I refused to pay them for guarding my shop. So they burned it to the ground..."

"And apparently you as well." 

He chuckled while twirling his fingers. 

"Listen. The Gray Armada and us Streaks do not get along if you know what I mean. So stay with me, WORK FOR ME! And you won't have to wory about Energon rationing."


	6. Whirl's new job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whirl starts working for Winning Streak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes mention of trafficking and drug use. If that is not for you. You may want to skip this chapter.

Not having much of a choice Whirl joined Rodion's local gang. Mostly working as a bodyguard for Winning Streak who was the leader of the Streaks. 

They mostly delt with selling stolen merchandise and illegal substances in the black market. Some of the biggest selling items being Boosters, Speeders, and body parts.

It was at this point this point that Whirl started using illegal substances. Boosters to try and forget his pain and Speeders to keep up with his bodyguard job. He became the muscle for Winning Streak whenever he ventured out of hidding, Whirl stood behind him making sure the boss was fine. On several occasions he had to fight officers of the Rodion police to keep them from arresting Winning Streak. 

Business flourished for the Streaks. The gangs territory expanded. Unfortunately it expanded towards Polyhex as well. This was great for the Streaks but not so much for Whirl. He did feel that the Streaks would protect him if it came to that. 

Things seemed fine for a while and Whirl felt a bit more safe. The Streaks attacked the Polyhex gray Armada and took over. Their boss now dead meant Whirl didn't have to worry. He considered changing his name back to Jetstream and returning home and finding Shift Out and the Small Spark.


	7. Chapter 7

He decided to speak with Winning Streak about returning home and finding his family.   
Unfortunately, Winning Streak didn't agree. 

"Whirl. You can't just leave! You know things that can't leave The Streaks. You know this. The only way you walk out of here is if you are Offline.” He gave a long pause as he stared at Whirl trying to figure out what he was thinking. 

“ None of us wants that now do we?" He added with a smile.

Whirl nodded, biting his lower lip in frustration. “Yes Boss, I understand. He lowered his head in defeat. 

Realizing the mistake he had made he knew looking for his family was not the best thing to do. Not because he would be killed but because his family could get hurt. If there was a way to get to them safely he would take that chance. But he was not about to endanger his family because he missed them. 

He worked with the streakers for a long time. He had not realized how long it had been. Sometimes he could barely remember what life had been. He wondered how Shiftout and the baby were holding up. What name the baby ( Who now wouldn't have been a baby anymore) had picked for himself. 

After his shift guarding the boss he would sometimes rest and look at the only mementos he had of the past. The blanket that had once belonged to the baby and the small box of Energon candy which was now empty.


	8. Chapter 8

Several years later the Rodion police planned a raid to stop the crime in their city. This included taking the Streakers down. Of course the best way to stop a gang is to defeat their leader. They had somehow acquired the location of Winning Streak's hideout and decided on a night to attack.

Whirl was standing guard over the recharging slab where Winning Streak was calmly recharging. Two other guards were standing right outside his bedroom door. Two more stood by the exit of the small shop. It didn't seem like an eventful day. Things were calm and business had been good. The guards had some small talk while they stood at their posts. Whirl could hear parts of the conversation but he was not invested in eavesdropping.

Whirl was very boosted that night, mostly to stay awake. He stood guard and tried to keep awake but he felt like his whole frame was vibrating. A side effect from using Boosters and Speeders at the same time. He couldn't focus on his own thoughts which he was actually happy about. He didn't want to think about how miserable he felt not having his family with him. 

Next thing he knew someone had broken down the door. He could hear weapon fire.   
A hand flew through the half broken door and landed at Whirl's feet. 

"Primus have mercy!" He said as he shook Winning Streak awake. 

"You are in danger we need to escape. The others are fighting outside." Whirl explained while shouting at the Boss. 

There was no need to explain. The commotion outside was enough for Winning Streak to know his life and his blackmarket business were in trouble.  
Whirl picked up Winning Streak and ran for the hidden door in Winning Streak's room. The door was strategically hidden under the recharging slab. Well hidden so one could not even see the seams on the floor once it was closed and the slab returned to place.  
The door took them to an underground tunnel. It was intentionally dark and had no sign of being inhabited. 

“Whirl, This tunnel will take you to the other side of Rodion. Don’t make any sudden movements once we arrive. I don’t know how they found my headquarters but if there is a mole and they know that, they just might know of this hide out.“ Winning Streak explained as Whirl ran in the dark holding the boss tightly. 

Eventually after a few hours they reached the end of the tunnel. There was only a small glowing light. There was a chair and a table. There didn’t seem to be an exit to the tunnel. The boss took a seat while Whirl stood at his side.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The escape!

It felt like time had slowed down. The only sounds to be heard were those of Whirl's engines. After a moment he started to calm down. It didn't seem like anyone had come after them. After what seemed like forever, Winning Streak stood up.

"I think we are in the clear now." 

After which the boss placed a hand on the wall. Whirl thought nothing of it, untill the wall moved. It slowly revealed that it was a door. It was not untill the lights from outside hit his face that he realized they were in the middle of the city. 

"You always have a plan for everything boss!" Whirl said in excitement.

"That's why I'm the boss Whirl!" He said while he laughed. 

With that they started to walk home. They were free and once again had outsmarted the Rodion police. Winning Streak laughed at his genius. By now the Police would have realized that Winning Streak was not there and hopefully believe that the hideout is a decoy.

"How about we celebrate with some drinks!" The boss pointed at a small bar. Whirl agreed.  
Inside the building was well lit. High grade, Engex, and several other drinks were on the menu. 

Whirl took a sip from his cube feeling calm at last.   
A hand was placed on his shoulder. Whirl quickly turned around only to see a large gun bring pointed at him.

"Don't move! We are only here for the boss. If you cause no trouble we will go easy on you!"


End file.
